Shoe shank



Dec. 18, 1928, 1,695,996

1?. DAVIS Er AL SHOE SHANK Filed May 15. 1927 IIIIIIIII'II'i/ W; H}! VENT0115 6W W Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

PAT 0 ROlBERT DAVIS AND ISAAC TAPMAN, OF BROOKLYN, :NEW YORK.

sHoE sHAnK.

a in'eafio filed Ma foot of'the arch and the sole of the shoe;

to enable the combining of different kindsv or sizes of shank forepartswith different sizes or shapes of heel seats and to'accomplish all ofsuch desirable objects in a simple and entirely practical way.

The objects mentioned are attained by cer- I tain novel features ofconstruction, combination and relation of parts, as hereinafterdescribed in detail and broadly claimed.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of this specificationillustrates a single commercial embodiment of the invention, in, which:r

- Figure 1 is a perspective top view of a form of the new shoe shank. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, illustrated bybroken lines, its position in a shoe structure.

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged cross sec" tional views on the planes oflines 33 and l-4; respectively of Figure 2.

One of the important new features of the invention isthe constructing ofthe main parts of the shank, that is, the heel seat and the forepart intwo separate pieces or parts 5, 6. These are shown integrally united,substantially at the junction ofthe forward end of the heel seat withthe top of the arch by a scarfed joint 7, suitable cement being employedas the uniting agent. The exact position of this joint may vary and theline of the joint may be transverse as indicated, or on an angle,dependingon different conditions. The simple transverse joint shown hasproved practical, the upper forward edge of the heel seat piece and theunder rearward edge of the forepart piece being similarly bevelled andthese bevelled parts being secured together with the forepart overlyingthe heel seat.

This two-part construction makes it possible to use relatively smallpieces of leather,

ofordinary shoe shanks.

, curvature.

1527. Seria1 NoQ.190,977.

such as would'be wholly unsuited to forming an ordinary shoe gshank,thus rendering j available forthe' purpose, bits ofleather that are nowwasted orput to profit 1c uses, and this construction furthermoreenables heel seats and forcparts being blanked out separately indifferent siies,

and shapes and being subseq'uently united in various differentcombinations 'to meet particular v requirementsj A suitable. shank stifiener inay" be einployed such asindica'ted at 8 and this serves tofurtherunify the two pieces. of which the shank is made. i

It has been the practice heretofore to use the .grain side of theleather as an actual heel seat since it presents a smooth, good wearingsurface. In the present disclosure, theheel seat piece is shown arrangedwith the grain side 9 upward and as coneaved somewhat, after theapproved manner of the heel seats Attempts have been made heretofore togivethe forepart of the shank-an upward transverse curvature to fit upinto the cavity of the arch in the foot, but such attempts have not beenwholly satisfactory because the grainsurface of the leatherhas atendency to flatten out and lose its transverse Another special featureof this invention is the use and arrangement of the forepart piece withthe flesh side, indicated at 10, faced upwardly and skived or bevelledon the edges as atll to, give it the permanent transverse arch indicatedin Figure 4-. This'transverse arch is shown as tapering out at12 intothe flat tongue eX- tension 13 and this substantiallyflat tongue isindicated as extended far enough forwardly over the sole (Figure 2) tocover that point 14 atthe foot of thearch where a break in the solefrequentlyoccurs.

In forming the transverse curvature by skiving the flesh side of theleather, a permanent arch is produced on the upper side this archactually has an elastic cushion effeet which relieves strain on the archca vity as well as actually supporting, the same. The

tion, said heel seat section having a pre formed heel seat cavity in thetop of the same and the forepart' section having'ai preformed upwardlyextending transverse arch in the top of the sa ine and the joint betweenthe two sections being located substantially in a line of merger fromthe coneave heel seat to the upwardly arched cross section ot thetorepart.

2. A shoe shank comprisin separately constituted sections, one a leatherheel seat arranged with the grain side of the same upward and the othera leather forepa-rt arranged with the flesh side of the same upward,said parts being: shaped and united the cavity in the 'arehof the foot,the upper flesh side of said forepart being perina .nentlyarehedupwardly transversely of the same.

4. A shoe shankconiprising a leather heel seat with the grain side facedupwardly and a'leather forepa'rt arranged with the flesh side facedupwardly, saidrreversely faced leather sections having reverselybevelled end edges secured in overlapping engagement and the upper edgesoi the forepart being; bevelled to impart downwardly to'the flesh sideof the iorepart"an'upward transverse why V y v In testimony whereof weourisignatures.

ROBERT DAVIS. ISAAC TAPMAN.

